US NSA says risk of Pak nukes in terrorist's hands reason for cut in military aid

US fears that nuclear weapons in Pakistan could fall into the hands of terrorists.

The United States recently cut $300 million in military aid to Pakistan and the Trump administration may have had substantial reasons to do so. According to National Security Advisor John Bolton, one of the major reasons was the risk that Pakistan's nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists.

Speaking at an event organised by a Washington-based think-tank - Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, Bolton outlined why terrorsim within Pakistan is a clear and present threat. "It was before my time, but the Trump administration did not take the decision to cancel a substantial part of the military aid package to Pakistan lightly," he said. "It was done knowing full well that Pakistan is a nuclear weapons state, and the risk that the government could fall into the hands of terrorists that would get control of those nuclear weapons was particularly serious."

US-Pakistan ties have nosedived in recent months with Donald Trump even accusing Pakistan of lies in his first tweet of 2018.

The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018

The United States would then go on to cut a substantial part of military aid for Pakistan. 

Already inching close to China, the souring ties with Washington have made Islamabad look at Beijing even more. There have been a series of accusations between the US and Pakistan since.